Match-box.



H. W. MANN.

MATCH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 20, 1908. 930,301. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

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Specification o Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1908.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Serial No. 463,671.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that L 'HENRY W. MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bal lard, in the county of Monroe and State of Nest Virginia, have invented new and useful improvements in Match-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to match boxes, and has for an object to provide a box of this character especially adapted for use in carrying a supply of matches upon the person, and resides particularly in its novel construction, providing means for ejecting a single match at a time from the box.

A further object of this invention is to provide a box of this character whereby its operative parts will be housed within the box proper to prevent portions thereof coming in contact with articles of apparel which would probably injure the same.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is better set forth, and it will be understood that changes within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views I-Figure 1 is a plan view of the match box, the cover' being removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the cover being shown. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a match box 1 comprising a front wall 2, side walls 3, and end walls 4 and 5. The said side walls are bent outwardly at their upper ends to provide guide flanges 6 to fit in guideways 7 along the longitudinal edges of a cover 8. rllhe box, upon the interior thereof and at one side is provided with a small compartment 9 the front wall 10 of which being disposed in spaced parallel relation to the front wall 2 of the box as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The wall 4 of the box 1 has formed therein a passage 11 disposed in line with a similar passage 12 formed in a transverse wall 13 in the compartment 9 and the said passages receive a sliding plungerl 14 provided inwardly of the partition 13 with a stop 15 and coiled about the said-plunger and disposed between the stop 15 and the wall 4 of the box is shown a coil spring 16. The

plunger is provided at the inner end thereof with a finger 17 which is somewhat offset so that it Vslides along the wall 3 of the box 1 adjacent to the compartment 9. It may be stated that the wall 10 of the said compartment is slotted as shown at 1S to receive the said finger and to prevent the same from rotary movement. The plunger is provided outwardly of the wall 4 of the box with a flnger-manipulation head 19, and by provin sion of the said spring 16 the head 19 normally lies yieldingly against the said wall 4. A match discharge passage 20 is located in the wall 4 and is normally closed by the said head 19 as will be clearly seen upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing. The wall 5 of the box is preferably offset as shown at 21 to allow the ringer 17 to normally lie within the recess incident to the said offset portion and to allow free movement of matches in the box. The cover 8 of the box is preferably provided at one end with a finger manipulating lip 22.

In operation,matches are placed within the box and by provision of the compartment 9 it will be seen that one match may assume a position between the wall 10 of the compartment and the wall 2 of the box and by holding the box somewhat at an angle the match will assume a position directly in line with the discharge passage 2O and will rest at one end upon the iinger 1'7. By holding the box in one hand and forcing the finger 19 in an outward direction it is obvious that a single match may be eectively ejected.

lt will be seen that a simple and inexpensive device is provided which will employ means ejecting but a single match at a time and which will obviate opening and closing the box when it is desired to obtain matches therefrom.

The plunger is provided with a portion 14a which extends outwardly at an angle to the remaining portion of the plunger so that when the head 19 is forced outwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing the said head will be moved laterally of the discharge opening 20 so as to readily permit the withdrawal of the match without its travel being interrupted by said head.

I claim 1. A match box having an opening formed therein, a removable cover engaged with the box, one of the end walls of said box having an offset portion adapted to form a recess, a plunger slidably engaged in the box, a compartment located in the box provided with aV transverse wall, a stop secured 'to the plunger, a spring disposed between the stolp and one wa l of the box adapted to normal stop engaged with the transverse wall of the compartrnent,` an -ejecting finger carried by the plunger normally seated in the recess formed by the oi'fset portiolin'o'n'eof the' walls of the box, said ejecting linger being disposed' ini` lire with the' opening-'formed in thefbox, and angerf'rnanipulating-f head at one'enldbf-theplunger 'provided with an outwa-rdlyfextnding portion disposed at rightvr angles-:to thecover atone end of the box.'

2; Anratch' box having a dischargev open'- ingforned therein, a-plunfgei` slidably mounti ed inth'e box, -an ejectin`gi-1inger carried by the plul'igen'a "manipulating head 'carried' by y hold the" the plunger adapted to normally close the Y ldischarge opening, said plunger having a v portion extending outwardly and at an angle to theremaining portion so that when the head is mani ulated to eject a match, the said head-wil ,be moved laterally andaway from the discharge opening to permit withdrawal of the match, and a spring engaged with the plunger for normally holding the manlpulating head yieldingly engaged with' one of 'the5 end walls of the: box."

in presence of two witnesses.` g

HENRY w. MANN'.

Witnesses: I

A. N. MANN, S. Gf WISEMANL 

